OkCupid Is Getting Rid of Usernames, and a Lot of Users Are Pissed

Following in the footsteps of competitors like Tinder and Bumble, OkCupid has announced it will require its users to use their real names—even if it's just a first name. The decision that has sparked an uproar with many users, especially with women and the LGBTQ+ community.

In an announcement titled "An Open Letter on Why We’re Removing Usernames, Addressed to the Worst Ones We’ve Ever Seen," the company explains the rationale behind the decision. "It’s because, like the recent goodbye we said to AIM screen names, it’s time to keep up with the times. We want you, BigDaddyFlash916, to go by who you are, and not be hidden beneath another layer of mystique. Even if that mystique is crucial to you and your dating life, unicorn__jizz."

We get it: It's a little less...'00s? Or an effort to look less creepy—considering that, according to OkCupid data cited in the post, upwards of 16,000 users have the word "horny" in their name.

Here's the problem, though: For a lot of people who don't happen to be straight, cis men, the ability to use a username can function as a sort of screen, especially at the very beginning of interactions, before a rapport and some sort of trustworthiness is established. In these cases, a username can be critical to feeling safe on the site. And many users let OkCupid know exactly that.

After some backlash, OkCupid said on Friday that they'll allow users to use the name they'd like to be called on the site, not their full names, as a way to maintain privacy. "We’ve also heard from many members of our community that they want to maintain the privacy they enjoy with usernames—with this change, we won’t be collecting full names; instead, we encourage our users to go by the name they’d like their dates to call them on OkCupid," the company wrote on the blog. They also tweeted: "We love our members. You do not need to use your government name or even your full first name. Use the name, nickname, or initials you’d like your date to call you on OkCupid."

So apparently you can use your real name, your first name only, a nickname, or a name you'd like to be called as an OkCupid user...wait a second.

The change, whatever it is, apparently won't take effect for everyone right away: The company will start rolling it out with a test group "ahead of the New Year" and then everyone else gets hit with it soon after. OkCupid suggests updating profiles ASAP with what you'd want other users to call you, whatever that may be.